I Am Tired

I am tired.
I am tired of feeling frightened, anxious, on alert when I leave my home.
I am tired of being watched, invaded, engaged by men who invade my space, look me up and down, and make sexual comments to me in the guise of a “compliment”.

I am tired of playing defence – of protecting my physical and mental safety against the ever-present demands of men.
I am tired of justifying my need for privacy by men who push, who demand, who NEED to know/feel/see more than I am prepared to give.

I am tired of hearing internalised misogyny from women – who blame women for their experiences of male violence. I am tired of seeing these women bend and shape…